אַיִן

cstr. אֵין subst. proposes nothing, nought (Moab. אן, As. iûnu). †Is 40:23 הַנּוֹתֵן רוֹזְנִים לְאָ֑יִן who bringeth princes to nothing; †כְּאַיִן as nothing, ib. 40:17; 41:11, 12 Hg 2:3 ψ 39:6; almost (‖ כִּמְעַט) ψ 73:2; †מֵאַיִן of nothing Is 41:24. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not, etc. (corresp. to the affirm. יֵשׁ q.v. Similar in usage, though not etym. akin, are لَيْسَ, לַיִת, ܠܰܝܬ, አልቦ), proposes ‘there is nought of …’ sq. a subst. or a pron. suffix (אֵינֶנִּי [verbal form, Ges§ 100, 5; 152, 1 c], אֵינְךָ, אֵינֵךְ, אֵינֶנּוּ, אֵינֶנָּה, אֵינְכֶם, אֵינָם, also ψ 59:14 אֵינֵ֫מוֹ, 73:5 אֵינֵ֫ימוֹ): twice abnormally, in late Heb., a nom. אֵין אֲנִי, אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ Ne 4:17 (so sts. לַיִת, ܠܰܝܬ, NöM. p. 295); once, incorrectly, את Hg 2:17 (?). denying existence absolutely Is 44:6; 47:10 אֵין רֹאָנִי there is none that seeth me, lit. nought of one seeing me! אֵין עוֹד there is none else Dt 4:39 1 K 8:60 Is 45:5, 6, 18, 22. more commonly, in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand Ex 2:12 and he saw כִּי־אֵין אִישׁ that there was no man (sc. there), Nu 21:5; Gn 5:24 וְאֵינֶנּוּ and he was not (of Enoch’s disappearance from earth) 42:13 one (cas.pend. as oft.), he is not, v 36; oft. = is (or has) vanished Gn 37:30 1 K 20:40 Is 17:14 ψ 37:10; 39:14; 103:16 Jb 8:22; 24:24; 27:19. with the sense determined by a predic. following: Gn 37:29 Joseph was not in the pit, 41:39 + often; Ex 5:10 אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן I am not giving you straw; and so often with particip. where duration has to be expressed Gn 39:23 Dt 21:18 Is 1:15 Je 7:16, or intention Gn 20:7 אִם אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב דַּע … if thou art not restoring her, know, 43:5 Ex 8:17; 33:15 (idiomatically, after אם; v. Dr§ 137) Ju 12:3. Foll. once pleon. by יֵשׁ ψ 135:17. Treated as a mere part. of negation, אֵין may vary its position in the sentence, the subst. which should strictly stand in the genitive being not only separated from it by a little word, as בּוֹ Gn 37:24, לוֹ Ex 22:1, שָׁם Ex 12:30, גַּם ψ 14:3, etc., but even for emphasis prefixed to it, as Gn 19:31; 40:8 וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֹ 41:15 Ex 5:16 Ju 13:9; 14:6; 16:15; 19:1 (so MI 24): if however it be thus brought to the end of a sentence, or be disconnected with what follows, it stands in the absol. form, as Gn 2:5 ואדם אַיִן לעבד האדמה and man there was none to till the ground, Lv 26:37 וְרֹדֵף אָ֑יִן, Nu 20:5 2 K 19:3 Ho 13:4 Mi 7:2. sometimes the subj. has to be supplied from the context: thus (α) †1 S 9:4 and they passed through the land of Shaalim וָאַיִן and they (the asses) were not (lit. and nought!), especially after vbs. of waiting or seeking Is 59:11 ψ 69:21 Jb 3:9; Is 41:17 Ez 7:25 Pr 14:6; 13:4; 20:4. (β) †Ex 17:7 is י׳ in the midst of us אִם־אָֽיִן׃ or not? Nu 13:20. (γ) †Ju 4:20 וְאָמַרְתְּ אָֽיִן׃ then thou shalt say, There is not, 1 K 18:10 1 S 10:14. (δ) Gn 30:1 give me children, וְאִם־אַיִן and if not, I die, Ex 32:32 Ju 9:15, 20 2 S 17:6 (v. Dr) 2 K 2:10 Jb 33:33. with subj. not expressed, once (late), Dn 8:5 וְאֵין נוֹגֵעַ בָּאָרֶץ and (it) was not touching the earth. Ec 8:11, Jb 35:15 with the finite vb.; but rd. here כִּי אֵין פֹּקֵד (the usage of لَيْسَ, cited by De, does not justify the anomaly in Heb.) Je 38:5 the impf. may be due to the fact that no ptcp. of יָכֹל was in use, and a relat. must be tacitly supplied: ‘The king is not (one that) can do aught against you.’ On Ex 3:2 see Ges§ 52, 2 R. 6; Ew§ 169 d. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not: Gn 11:30 אֵין לָהּ וָלָד she had no child, Nu 27:9 וְאִם־אֵין לוֹ בַּת and if he have no daughter + oft.; with a ptcp. Dt 22:27 Je 14:16; 30:17; 49:5; 50:32 ψ 142:5 La 1:2, 9, 17; Ex 22:2 אִם־אֵין לוֹ if he have nought, Dn 9:26 ואין לו and have nought (or none). in circumst. clauses (Dr§ 164):—(a) Ex 21:11 she shall go out free אֵין כָּ֑סֶף without money, 22:9 אֵין רֹאֶה none seeing it, Nu 11:6 Is 47:1 Je 2:32 Ho 3:4; 7:11 ψ 32:9; 88:5 +. (b) Dt 32:4 a God of faithfulness וְאֵין עָוֶל and no iniquity, i.e. without iniquity, Je 5:21 Jo 1:6 ψ 104:25. (c) very oft., in such phrases as וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד with none to affright Lv 26:6 (12 textual); וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה Is 1:31 al.; וְאֵין מַצִּיל 5:29 ψ 7:3, etc. (Dr§ 159). with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …: i.e. (α) like οὐκ ἔστιν, it is not possible to … (cf. sub יֵשׁ and לֹא), but hardly exc. in late Heb.; 2 Ch 20:6 וְאֵין עִמְּךָ לְהִתְיַצֵּב it is not possible to stand (in conflict) with thee, 22:9 Ezr 9:15 Ec 3:14 Est 4:2. Once without ל, ψ 40:6 אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ οὐκ ἔστι παραβάλλειν σοι. (β) there is no need to … 1 Ch 23:26 וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵין־לָשֵׂאת for the Levites also there was no need to bear 2 Ch 5:11; 35:15 (v. Dr§ 202. 1). with prefixes:— †בְּאֵין prop. in defect of:—(α) for want of, without—Pr 5:23 he will die בְּאֵין מוּסָר for lack of instruction, 11:14 בְּאֵין תַּחְבֻּלוֹת without guidance, 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18 Is 57:1 Ez 38:11; cf. בְּלֹא. (β) of time = when there was (were) not Pr 8:24(×2). †כְּאֵין Is 59:10 כְּאֵין עֵינַיִם poet. for כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ עֵינַיִם (cf. Ew§ 286 g Ges§ 152. 1 h). †לְאֵין (α) for לַאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ Is 40:29; in late prose 2 Ch 14:10 Ne 8:10. (β) in the condition of not … (ל of state, v. sub ל) = without or so that not … (peculiar to Ch), 1 Ch 22:4 cedar trees לְאֵין מִסְפָּר without number, 2 Ch 14:12 and there fell of the Cushites לְאֵין־לָהֶם מִחְיָה so that they had none remaining alive, 20:25 לְאֵין מַשָּׂא so that there was no carrying away, 21:18 Ezr 9:14. (γ) עַד־לְאֵין (see עַד ל׳), 2 Ch 36:16 until there was no remedy (cf. עַד אֵין … ψ 40:13 Jb 5:9). מֵאֵין (α) (מִן causal) from lack of … Is 50:2 Je 7:32; 19:11 Ez 34:8. (β) (v. מִן 7 b) proposes away from there being no … (with אֵין pleon., cf. מִבְּלִי, and מִבְּלִי אֵין), i.e. so that not …, without, mostly epexegetical of some term expressing desolation: Is 5:9 Surely many houses shall be desolate מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב without inhabitant, 6:11 + oft. Je & Zp; Is 6:11 מֵאֵין אָדָם, Je 32:43 מֵאֵין אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה 33:10, 12 Ez 33:28; La 3:49. Once sq. inf. Mal 2:13 so that there is no regarding more. (γ) in Je 10:6, 7 מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ, מֵאֵין is supposed by some to = a strengthened אֵין, even none, none at all; but it is difficult to justify this expl. logically; and it is preferable to point מֵאַיִן כָּמוֹךָ whence is any like thee? cf. 30:7. (So Mich v. DrHbr ii.34–7.)